Method and system for combining text and voice messages in a communications dialogue

Abstract

This publication discloses a method and system for delivering messages in a telecommunications network ( 1, 2, 6, 11, 12 ). In the method a voice-message call attempt is received ( 43 ), or a connection is formed to a potential user of a service, on the basis of a voice-message call attempt. According to the invention, as a response to the voice-message connection formed or to the call attempt, to the second part ( 41 ) of the connection is sent a text-form message, which initiates a long, logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session N, in such a way that the sender address (e.g., the A number) is converted to correspond to the session number N and the session stage J at the time, and in the message there is at least one selection query.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 a network server communicating with at least one mobile device in the telecommunication network, wherein the communicating comprises the following operations performed by the network server: 
 receiving a voice-message call from a mobile device of a potential user of a product or service; 
 sending an initial text-form message to the mobile device of the potential user of the product or service as a response to the voice-message call attempt, wherein the initial text-form message initiates a logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session having a plurality of stages, each stage relating to at least one message associated with a sender and a recipient; 
 determining an address of the sender of at least one message in the session based on the session initiated by the initial text-form message and a number of a current stage in the session; and 
 including at least one selection query in at least one message in the session. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sender address is in an address format that enables roaming across inter-operator boundaries. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sender address comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sending comprises utilizing a message bulk-delivery system within the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service message. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service message. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selection query relates to purchasing of a product or service subject to payment. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable via the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable external to the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       11. A method comprising:
 a network server communicating with at least one mobile device in the telecommunication network, wherein the communicating comprises the following operations performed by the network server:
 forming a connection to a potential user of a product or service based on a voice-message call attempt; 
 sending an initial text-form message to the mobile device of the potential user of the product or service as a response to the formed connection, wherein the initial text-form message initiates a logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session having a plurality of stages, each stage relating to at least one message associated with a sender and a recipient; 
 determining an address of the sender of at least one message in the session based on the session initiated by the initial text-form message and a number of a current stage in the session; and 
 including at least one selection query in at least one message in the session. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sender address is in an address format that enables roaming across inter-operator boundaries. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sender address comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sending comprises utilizing a message bulk-delivery system within the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service message. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service message. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the selection query relates to purchasing of a product or service subject to payment. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable via the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable external to the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       21. A network server comprising:
 a processor that communicates with at least one mobile device in a telecommunication network, wherein the processor causes the network server to:
 receive a voice-message call from a mobile device of a potential user of a product or service; 
 send an initial text-form message to the mobile device of the potential user of the service as a response to the voice-message call attempt, wherein the initial text-form message initiates a logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session having a plurality of stages, each stage relating to at least one message associated with a sender and a recipient; 
 determine an address of the sender of at least one message in the session is determined based on the session initiated by the initial text-form message and a number of a current stage in the session; and 
 include at least one selection query in at least one message in the session. 
 
 
     
     
       22. The network server of  claim 21 , wherein the sender address is in an address format that enables roaming across inter-operator boundaries. 
     
     
       23. The network server of  claim 21 , wherein the sender address comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       24. The network server of  claim 21 , wherein the sending comprises utilizing a message bulk-delivery system within the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       25. The network server of  claim 21 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service message. 
     
     
       26. The network server of  claim 21 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service message. 
     
     
       27. The network server of  claim 21 , wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message. 
     
     
       28. The network server of  claim 21 , wherein the selection query relates to purchasing of a product or service subject to payment. 
     
     
       29. The network server of  claim 28 , wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable via the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       30. The network server of  claim 28 , wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable externally to the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       31. A network server comprising:
 a processor that communicates with at least one mobile device in a telecommunication network, wherein the processor causes the network server to:
 form a connection to a potential user of a product or service based on a voice-message call attempt; 
 send an initial text-form message to the mobile device of the potential user of the product or service as a response to the formed connection, wherein the initial text-form message initiates a logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session having a plurality of stages, each stage relating to at least one message associated with a sender and a recipient; 
 determine an address of the sender of at least one message in the session based on the session initiated by the initial text-form message and a number of a current stage in the session; and 
 include at least one selection query in at least one message in the session. 
 
 
     
     
       32. The network server of  claim 31 , wherein the sender address is in an address format that enables roaming across inter-operator boundaries. 
     
     
       33. The network server of  claim 31 , wherein the sender address comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       34. The network server of  claim 31 , wherein the sending comprises utilizing a message bulk-delivery system within the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       35. The network server of  claim 31 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service message. 
     
     
       36. The network server of  claim 31 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service message. 
     
     
       37. The network server of  claim 31 , wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message. 
     
     
       38. The network server of  claim 31 , wherein the selection query relates to purchasing of a product or service subject to payment. 
     
     
       39. The network server of  claim 38 , wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable via the telecommunications network. 
     
     
       40. The network server of  claim 38 , wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable external to the telecommunications network.